


Just for the Night

by HaziestShade



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F!Byleth, F/F, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-23
Updated: 2020-04-23
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:33:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,701
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23806942
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HaziestShade/pseuds/HaziestShade
Summary: Even an Empress needs a night off once in a while and even Edelgard could use some help from her friends.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 2
Kudos: 60





	Just for the Night

“Loosen up a little Eddy, have some fun,” Dorothea said lightly. 

Edelgard smiled tightly. “I am having fun.” That wasn’t quite true, but that hardly mattered.

Dorothea sighed, shaking her head. “I’ve seen you and Hubie look more cheerful on the battlefield.” Edelgard’s eyes flicked involuntarily to Hubert. He had his back stiffly to the wall casting dark glares at the gayly dressed passersbys. 

She sighed inwardly. “I suppose it couldn’t hurt for him to cut back a little.” She admitted, knowing that such a thing was as likely as Lady Rhea retiring from the church to pursue dance.

Dorothea gave her a grin.  _ Goddess, she is lovely when she smiles.  _ The thought came unbidden to her mind and she felt suddenly flushed.

“That’s right Eddie! Why don’t you join Petra and me, we’re going to see if we find anything cute at the stalls.” Dorothea offered blithely. 

Edelgard considered. She liked Dorothea and she admired Petra yet she couldn’t picture herself among them.

“I will join you later, I must find the professor first.” She said. 

“I’ll hold you to that Eddie!” Dorothea grinned. Edelgard nodded. “An empress must keep her promises, of course.” She said.

Dorothea nodded, smiling broadly. “I’m going to find Petra, say hi to the professor for me!” She urged, disappearing into the crowd with a wave. 

Edelgard frowned. The town was packed wall to wall with people. Dancers, musicians, vendors, so many unfamiliar faces. It would be only too easy for a snake to slip in among them. 

Hubert gave her a grim smile as she approached. 

“Lady Edelgard.” He acknowledged. “I have observed no immediate dangers so far but I will remain watchful nevertheless.” 

“Thank you, Hubert.” She paused, grasping for the right words. “But…”

“Is there something else you require?” Concern laced his voice.

Edelgard smiled tightly. “Do you want to have fun, join in the festivities with the others?” 

Hubert’s frowned. “Milady?” 

Edelgard's face warmed. “I mean, It would do no harm to enjoy ourselves for one night, surely?” Her words came out in a rush.

Hubert tilted his head quizzically. “To stray from our path would be-”

She shook her head. “I’m not talking about straying Hubert, only about taking a night to ourselves.” She sighed heavily. “I know Ferdinand invited you to join him for the festival, why not find him? I’ll be safe with the professor.” 

Hubert’s face twisted in curious confusion. “The professor’s loyalty is unsure at best, Lady Edelgard, I cannot in good conscience allow you to leave yourself vulnerable to her.” 

Edelgard rolled her eyes. “She saved my life, Hubert, if she wanted to harm me she has had plenty of opportunities.” She put a gloved hand on his shoulder. “I am serious Hubert, I want you to take the night off, find Ferdinand or Bernadetta, try to enjoy yourself.” 

Hubert sighed darkly. “Very well. I will join the Aegir boy, but only for the purpose of reconnaissance, I assure you.”

She couldn’t help but smile. “Of course Hubert. I would never expect otherwise.”

Reluctantly and with more than a few baleful looks Hubert joined with the crowd leaving Edelgard alone.

She noted with some surprise that she was still smiling. It seemed the festivity had gotten to even her.

Even the air smelled of celebration, honey and burnt sugar from the bakery stalls, cinnamon from Dagda, camphor from Almyra peddled by the many foreign vendors, and the fragrance of the newly blossomed flowers that marked the beginning of the year.

She pressed through the crowd, aimlessly scanning the market stalls. She couldn't help but pause beside a baker's display. Sweet-smelling cakes stood in a row, all baked into the shape of flowers, red frosted roses and pastel blue violets.

“Can I get one for you, young miss?” The baker asked, bellowing over the clamor of the crowd.

Edelgard nodded instinctively. “Ye...Yes. Yes, thank you.” She answered, handing him a few gold and taking a sticky rose in return. 

She ate it as she walked savoring the flakes of sugar and the almost fruity frosting. She scanned every face for the professor but she was nowhere to be found amongst the buyers or merchants. 

She finished her cake making a note to wash her glove later and continued her observation of the wide grinning faces, searching for the familiar blank stare of her professor. 

_ The professor is a strange one. _ She mused. Caspar and Dorothea had approached Byleth with all the charm in their arsenals (Dorothea giving a much better performance in Edelgard’s opinion.) and begged her to allow them out of the monastery for the festival. After asking blankly what the festival was for  _ (The professor’s startling lack of knowledge of Fodlan, the Goddess, and basic life experiences was perhaps the most mysterious thing about her)  _ She had agreed with a dull nod.

She wondered what kind of life the professor must’ve lived as a mercenary to shape into the enigma she had become. 

“Hey missy!” The voice broke her from her reverie and she turned sharply. “What-” She began before connecting the voice to a small pot bellied merchant. She let out a small sigh of relief. “What can I do for you?”

“A pretty thing like you must like pretty things?” He gestured at the rack of masks behind them. Though she bristled at being called “thing” or pretty for that matter she had to admit the masks were fetching. 

All made of elaborately carved wood, bright crepe paper, or embroidered cloth. Stepping forward she ran a finger over an elegant white mask with scarlet flowers sown on top of it and shining green ribbons hanging to the side.

“Do y’a like that one?” The merchant asked vigorously. “It’s a Seiros mask, lovely for any young lady of faith.”

She let her hand fall to her side, something pulled at her mind and she couldn’t seem… “I’m not interested.” She said flatly, she remembered something like this, if only she could get her mind to focus.

She walked forward feeling someone collide with her and hearing the merchant's mumbled curses as she left. She paused at the town walls. Masks, a festival, there was something...something familiar in that.

She thought of the Seiros mask, green ribbons and red flowers when it hit her with a flash. Her hand  _ (ungloved, unscarred)  _ in her sister’s as they walked through Enbarr. Everywhere fairy lanterns hung on strings and garlands of flowers wound the walls. 

“Look!” She had pointed to a stall with gorgeous masks. She had been dazzled by the garish designs. Animals, monsters, and things even stranger, lavishly painted. Her sister had laughed. “Do you want to be a monster, El?” She had asked.

She felt sick, the cake roiling in her stomach. Hand in hand they’d approached. Her sister had picked a red beast’s mask to scare their older brother, El had taken a black eagle mask with a cruel curved beak and sharp pitiless eyes. 

That had happened only weeks before the insurrection. She had taken the mask with her to Faergus. She could almost feel the lacquered wood and the warmth of her sister’s hand. 

She drew a sharp breath. She had lost them both in that place. In the darkness beneath the palace.

Acrid bile rose in her throat. 

Goddess she was stupid. Did she really think she could forget about all that happened? Enjoy herself after what she had done, after what she would do? She was lying to herself like a stupid delusional girl. The girl who had died in the dungeons of Enbarr.

She put her hand to her head, her nails digging through her gloves.  _ Stupid. Naive.  _ She wished she could force it from her mind. The dead girl’s memories had no place in her own mind.

Her stomach heaved and she coughed into the weeds, her face burning with humiliation.  _ To think you’re trying to be emperor. Who would ever kneel to something as pathetic as you?  _ A voice inside her hissed.

She tried to breathe but the air wouldn’t come. She grasped at the wall trying to steady herself when she felt something heavy on her shoulder. 

“Huber-” She gasped. The word choked to a stop as the professor’s hand curled around her shoulder. 

“Are you alright Edelgard?” Byleth asked calmly.

She forced herself to nod. “Yes...Yes, I’m fine. I’m fine Professor.” She assured her. She couldn’t let the professor see how pathetic she was, how weak she was. The professor would surely leave if she knew what Edelgard really was.

Byleth’s gave her a piercing look as if she could see straight through her. Edelgard wanted to vanish, to return to her room and solitude, and yet...the professor’s hand was comforting and some foolish childish part of her wanted to lean into it.

“I’m sorry my teacher, you should be enjoying yourself not-” Byleth stopped her with a look.

“It is my job to care for my students. If you wish to tell me what is wrong I promise to listen.” She said with a small smile.

Edelgard gaped for a moment before quickly reclaiming her composure. She knew she should lie. Tell her she was sick, that she just needed rest but there was something about the professor...something that made her feel almost safe.

“I was just...I was remembering something that happened a long time ago. That’s all.” She said.

Byleth nodded. “I see. If you ever wish to tell me what you recalled…” She let the sentence trail off, a thoughtful look on her face.

“Why don’t you walk with me Edelgard? Perhaps we can make a new memory?”

A warm feeling like sunlight on a flower spread within her. “I would like that very much, my teacher.” She agreed, a small smile returning to her lips.

The professor offered her a hand and she took it gratefully. They walked together into the crowd and Edelgard felt herself relax, a smile etched on her face. 

Surely it was acceptable to truly pretend to be a normal student, to forget the Flame Emporerer and enjoy the company of Byleth, after all, it was only for the night.

**Author's Note:**

> hey y'all. another Edelgard centered fic here, Idk if it's good at all but I had fun writing it. I hope y'all enjoy it!


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